The New York State Bar Association officially supports marriage as the exclusive means for achieving equality for same-sex couples. Here is one of the resolutions passed today by the organization’s House of Delegates:

RESOLVED that the Association hereby endorses and supports the introduction and enactment of legislation that amends the Domestic Relations Law to allow same-sex couples to marry and to recognize marriages if contracted elsewhere as the Association believes only marriage can grant full equality to same-sex couples and their families, and that such legislation shall exempt clergy from the obligation to perform any marriage to which they object….

(emphasis added). The full set of related resolutions and introductory material is here. (I, for one, enjoy a good “WHEREAS” clause.)

The NYSBA resolution changes the organization’s 2003 position endorsing non-marriage “equivalents” for lesbian and gay couples.

The New York Law Journal has more coverage here. The NYSBA press release is here.

Now New Yorkers need the State Senators to stop behaving badly and come together to do their jobs.